1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a toner bottle for supplying toner to a development apparatus to be used for development in copying machines, printers, facsimiles and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional toner bottle for supplying toner to a development apparatus has a toner supply port for smoothly supplying toner into a development apparatus. The toner supply port of the toner bottle is normally closed by an adhesive sheet. Therefore, when supplying toner to a development apparatus, the adhesive sheet must be peeled.
In a series of operations for peeling the adhesive sheet, in some cases, toner in the toner bottle splashes and stains the periphery. In addition, since the toner bottle is handled in a condition where the toner supply port is left opened when attaching or detaching the toner bottle to or from the development apparatus, the toner may spill. Furthermore, when attaching the toner bottle to a development apparatus, hands or the periphery may be stained by mistake.
Recently, equipment with a development apparatus such as printers, facsimiles and the like has become common, and various people operate development apparatuses. Therefore, a demand for development of an inexpensive toner bottle which can be easily operated has increased.
In Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 10-207207, a toner bottle having a shutter that is made from an elastic material and rotatively disposed is disclosed. In this conventional toner bottle, the shutter opens when the bottle is attached to a toner supplying means, however, at any other time than this, the toner supply port of the toner bottle is closed by the shutter. The supply port of the toner bottle is securely closed by elastic deformation of the shutter, whereby toner leakage is prevented.
However, in the abovementioned conventional toner bottle, when the toner bottle is taken out from the development apparatus, if the shutter is touched by mistake, the opening of the shutter and the toner supply port of the toner bottle coincide with each other, and toner splashes to the outside.
Other proposals for toner bottles have also been made in which the toner supply port is mechanically opened and closed, and the toner supply port is closed by an elastic material. However, there are problems in these cases such as an increase in cost, difficult operations, and the like.
The object of the invention is to provide a toner bottle in which toner leakage and spillage can be prevented when the toner bottle is attached to a development apparatus. Another object of the invention is to provide a toner bottle in which toner that has remained inside when the toner bottle is detached from a development apparatus is prevented from leaking.
A toner bottle according to the present invention comprises a cylindrical bottle portion with an opening at one end, a cylindrical cap holding portion connected to the opening of the bottle portion, and a cap member attached to the cap holding portion in a manner enabling itself to slide in the peripheral direction and the axial direction of the cap holding portion. Toner is housed in the cylindrical bottle portion. The cap holding portion has a cylindrical body with a toner supply port formed for emitting the toner housed in the bottle portion, and a latching claw projecting from the outer surface of the cylindrical body at a position higher than the toner supply port. First and second grooves extending in the peripheral direction to which the latching claw is latched are formed in the inner surface of the cap member. An opening from which the toner housed in the bottle portion is emitted is formed to the cap member between the first and second grooves.
According to the present invention, before the toner bottle is attached to a development apparatus, the toner supply port is closed by the cap member. When attaching the toner bottle to a development apparatus, strong pressing makes the cap member slide, and the toner supply port of the toner bottle and the opening of the cap member coincide with each other.
When the toner bottle is taken out from the development apparatus, by rotating the toner bottle, the opening of the cap member and the toner supply port of the cylindrical body deviate from each other, and the toner supply port is closed by the cap member.
The cap member may be structured so as not to rotate reversely, so that the opening and toner supply port never coincide with each other again.
Thus, the operation of the toner bottle according to the present invention is easy. In addition, the toner bottle according to the present invention can be manufactured at a low cost. Furthermore, splash of the toner when the toner bottle is attached and detached can be prevented. Therefore, hands and the periphery can be prevented from being stained.